Formula 1 will trial a revised driver identification system this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix, introducing three-letter acronyms to each car’s onboard ‘T-bar’ cameras.
The updated branding, placed on the roll hoop camera housing, will display abbreviations such as ‘LEC’ for Charles Leclerc or ‘NOR’ for Lando Norris to help fans more clearly distinguish drivers during live broadcasts.
The change is being evaluated by the F1’s management group, in collaboration with the FIA, during all sessions at Spa and forms part of a wider push to improve viewer experience through clearer, real-time visual cues. A full rollout could follow if the test proves successful.
F1 has attempted similar ideas in the past. In 2017, the sport revised its regulations to require larger car numbers and mandated that driver acronyms be displayed on the car.
While some teams, like Force India, initially resisted — even receiving a suspended fine at the Spanish Grand Prix — the team eventually complied, with the acronyms remaining on its cars until the end of that season.
The series also tested a digital display mounted on the side of the onboard camera in 2014, aiming to show tyre data or fastest lap information.
That experiment didn’t move forward in F1, but IndyCar briefly adopted a similar system before shelving it.
Currently, teams are required to display the driver’s number and name on the car’s bodywork, while the onboard camera housing must differ in colour between teammates — one black, the other fluorescent yellow — to help distinguish between the two.
The latest tweak, using each driver’s three-letter abbreviation, mirrors what appears on official timing screens and aims to make car and driver recognition even more intuitive during live coverage.
Whether it becomes a permanent fixture will depend on the outcome of the trial at Spa.
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